LAPD Searches Joshua Tree Airbnb in Christina Downer Case

Los Angeles police searched a property in Joshua Tree, California, on October 9, 2026, as part of their investigation into the disappearance of Christina Lynn Downer, the 38-year-old sister of Saturday Night Live writer Jimmy Fowlie. Detectives from the Los Angeles Police Department's Robbery-Homicide Division, assisted by K-9 units and other agencies, sought evidence connected to the case, which remains unresolved.

The search led investigators to an Airbnb property, according to reports from NBC4 Investigates and SFGATE. The Los Angeles Police Department confirmed that detectives were investigating the circumstances surrounding Downer's disappearance but did not disclose the property's precise location, what prompted the search or whether investigators recovered evidence.

SFGATE reported that an LAPD spokesperson, Officer Norma Eisenman, confirmed the October 9 search and said the Los Angeles Fire Department was involved. Authorities have not publicly confirmed whether the investigation's classification has changed or whether detectives were searching for human remains.

Downer was last known to be in Los Angeles' Koreatown neighborhood. According to the LAPD's missing-person notice issued December 23, 2025, a friend last contacted her by text message on December 10. Fowlie previously said his last contact with his sister occurred on November 26.

In an Instagram post published April 29, 2026, Fowlie said his family had been told that his sister was no longer alive. He also expressed concern that her phone and social media accounts had been compromised before she disappeared.

In the post, Fowlie described the family's changing hopes and their desire for accountability.

"Our prayers for her to be found safely have transformed into prayers for the truth to be revealed and for those responsible to be held accountable," Fowlie wrote.

Fowlie alleged that whoever had access to Downer's phone used it to conceal her disappearance, solicit money and make it appear that she had chosen to withdraw from contact. The allegations have not been publicly confirmed by police.

Fowlie detailed the family's concerns about the alleged misuse of his sister's accounts.

"The individual(s) in possession of her phone used it to hide the fact she was gone, to ask for money, and to create a false narrative that she was going 'off the grid.'" Fowlie wrote.

Police disputed the family's account of the case's status after Fowlie's April statement. The department said Downer had not been located and that the case had not been reclassified as a homicide investigation, despite the family's claim that authorities had informed them she had died.

The LAPD has continued treating the disappearance as an active investigation. Officials have not announced any arrests or publicly identified a suspect in connection with the case.

Downer's family previously told police that she had no known medical conditions and had never disappeared before. Fowlie also said she might use the name Christina Fowlie and had a strong attachment to her miniature pinscher, Rex.

Fowlie, an actor and comedian who joined the Saturday Night Live writing staff in 2022, initially sought public assistance through social media. The LAPD's Robbery-Homicide Division continues investigating the suspicious circumstances surrounding Downer's disappearance.